RochesterWorks training specialists are bringing their knowledge of job search and networking tools to the job seeker.  There are great resources available and we are here to help you get the most out of them. 

CareerSearch
This is a subscription database containing over 5,691 Rochester companies.  Its purpose is to provide job seekers with easy access to timely and accurate labor market information.  CareerSearch delivers via Web access: company descriptions, addresses, names, titles and many e-mail addresses.  Job seekers can query by industry, geographic region, city, company size, key words and even competitors.  This can be used by job seekers to identify new or previously unknown companies as well as provide basic company data before an interview.

Our goal is to provide workshops for our customers on how to better utilize this database to retrieve information they can use in their searches.  With CareerSearch, job seekers can look beyond the job postings in newspapers or on the Web to discover hidden opportunities by networking with organizations throughout the Monroe county area.  To speed and simplify the search process, results are downloadable in a variety of formats that work with virtually every leading word processor, spreadsheet, database, or contact management program.

LinkedIn
RochesterWorks staff has discovered the power of using LinkedIn to assist job seekers and themselves.  LinkedIn is the world’s #1 business networking site with over 24 million members (and growing).  It isn’t a replacement for face to face networking, however, it helps to build and maintain connections.

The concept is simple and similar to Face Book and MySpace, which create a virtual network of trusted professionals.  When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your professional accomplishments. Your profile helps you find and be found by former colleagues, clients, and partners. You can add more connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you.

LinkedIn can help job seekers search for great jobs. Get introduced to other professionals through the people you know, and discover inside connections that can help you land jobs and close deals.

Speakers have previously presented at RochesterWorks! on this networking tool.  We can walk customers through creating an online profile/resume that will best market and brand their skills.  Having a presence on LinkedIn is another way in which a job seeker may be sourced for opportunities, or have their professional background evaluated.  Creating a strong profile and building their recommendations might add the competitive advantage they need to land their next job.

O*Net’s Profiler
O*Net’s Profiler is an incredible online tool used to assess interests and match them with O*Net’s database of over 1,000 real occupations.  The purpose of this tool is to help job seekers transition into a new occupation, either one they have decided on or one they do not know of yet.  It will then help identify the individual’s gaps in skill.  This will help the job seeker develop goals and a course of action in order to more successfully enter that occupation.

With a large portion of today’s labor force entering retirement, these people are prime candidates for career changes. 

Participation in this workshop results with the job seeker walking away with tangible research action items or skill gap goals. 

RochesterWorks wants to provide all job seekers with the tools and resources that will best suit their unique needs.  These 3 tools target the different needs of a job seeker in the 21st century.  We are proud to bring this knowledge to them and help.